SSM/I Winds - NOAA CoastWatch East Coast Node

SSM/I Ocean Surface Winds

DMSP Special Sensor Microwave/Imager derived ocean surface winds depict wind speeds only (no direction), at an elevation of 19.5m. The strictest rain flag has been used to yield wind speeds within 2m/s.

Presented wind speed quantities should not be considered absolute
In storms with high wind gradients, the wind speed values will be underestimated
Rain flags in use will not necessarily detect all precipitation events
Data buffer is 18 hours prior to the most recent update time.

Products are updated at 03:00, 06:00, 09:00, 12:00, 15:00, 18:00, 21:00 and 24:00 GMT.

SSM/I

Wind Speed Height: 19.5 m

Source Data: TDR

Wind Derivation Method: Goodberlet

Product Frequency: Every 4 hours

Accuracy: +/- 2 m/s

Spatial Resolution: 30km

Format: GIF

Geographic Coverage: 60N to 60S
180W to 180E

The SSM/I brightness temperatures used are those calculated by the Navy at the
Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center (FNMOC). The wind speed algorithm used was developed by Goodberlet et al., and expresses the wind speed, WS, in meters/second as:

WS=147.90+1.0969*TB19v-0.4555*TB22v-1.7600*TB37v+0.7860*TB37h

where:
TB is the radiometric brightness temperature at the frequencies and polarizations indicated. All data where TB37v-TB37hr < 50 or TB19h > 165 was rain flagged.

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